For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-6449 (Patent Literature 1) has proposed a pneumatic tire provided in a sidewall portion with a side protector protruding outwardly in the tire axial direction. The side protector helps to prevent damage to the sidewall portion due to sharp stones or the like, for example.
In the side protector of Patent Literature 1, a recessed portion is provided. For example, when running on a muddy road covered with so deep mud that the tire is soaked up to a part of the sidewall portion, the recessed portion shears the mud, therefore, it is possible that traction is increased. However, the recessed portion of Patent Literature 1 tends to be clogged with the mud, and there is room for further improvement in mud performance.